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Fuck fuck, why did Ena have to decide today of all days to mess with him?
First she swaps his shampoo with pink hair dye, then he can’t find his contacts.
First he spends like 30 minutes digging out his old glasses, then he’s sprinting out the door for this composing seminar at a local college that he had to work his ass off to get invited to.
He arrives just before start time and flashes his ID at the grad student in front, and they stare at him unimpressed because obviously he doesn’t look like his picture.
So he argues with them for way too long until they finally just let him in and Akito takes an open seat in the lecture hall.
“Thank you all for coming!” the head of the music department says. “We’re so excited to also have a special guest for this seminar, the famed Harumichi Aoyagi!”
Oh god fucking damn it.
Akito wanted to come to this seminar to learn other techniques to incorporate into his music and now Toya’s dad who hates him is here?!
Could this day be any worse?
Well it can because after a brief introduction Akito’s the first person called on to share the work he submitted to get into the class.
Honestly fuck his life.
He goes up and shares the song he submitted, an idea that was floating in his head and he hasn’t really put words to.
He’s prepared for Harumichi to tear it apart, then something weird happens.
“I appreciate the way you incorporated piano to contrast the guitars,” he says, completely neutrally, like he actually likes it.
“Uh, thank you. I’ve been working on some things that mix styles but I’m not as experienced with a proper piano, I only have a synth and a MIDI keyboard to work off of.”
“Ah, I see.”
Akito goes back to his seat and someone else comes up and gets critiques, and at the end Harumichi approaches him.
“Excuse me, I didn’t get your name,” he says.
Akito blinks. Then he’s taken over by the chaotic spirit of Mizuki Akiyama and says “Akiyoshi Sato. I’m a first year student at Shujin.”
“I thought you looked young,” Harumichi says. “You have quite a lot of talent for your age, if you’d like, I could give you piano lessons. It’s a good foundation for other kinds of music.”
“Really? I wouldn’t want to impose, sir, I know you’re busy and all.”
“Nonsense! When are you free? You can come after school.”
“Does Wednesday work for you?”
“Yes. Here’s my address.”
He hands Akito a card and then walks off. The moment he’s far enough away he calls Ena.
“Hey,” she says “sorry I forgot you had your seminar thing today, I wanted to fuck with you not make you late”
“I do not care,” Akito says, “water under the bridge on one condition.”
He snaps a quick picture of himself.
“I need you to get either Akiyama or Momoi to get me a wig that is exactly this color by Wednesday.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Because Toya’s dad was there, didn’t recognize me, and is now offering me music lessons.”
Ena chokes back laughter. “Oh my god.”
“I know! I gave him a fake name, I’m gonna see how far I can go with it.”
“Sweet. Ok I’ll talk to them, you probably have to tell Toya, right?”
“Yeah see ya at home.”
Akito never gets his chance to tell Toya because there’s something going around and both Toya and An call in sick.
Before he knows it, it’s Wednesday. When Akito’s at the Aoyagis, he tries not to show that he already knows his way around from all the times Toya’s brought him over when his parents were out.
He lets himself get led to the piano, and starts following the lesson.
But then he hears someone walking downstairs.
“I didn’t expect you to be up. You should be in bed.” Harumichi says, and Toya walks downstairs.
“Couldn’t sleep. Senpai said to take some NyQuil.” Toya mutters, and Akito whips around to lock eyes with him.
Toya literally stops in his tracks, just standing there, staring into Akito’s eyes.
“Excuse me, have we met…?” Toya says, walking closer to the piano.
“I don’t think we have.” Akito says, before taking his hand and pulling off his glasses. “And that now ranks as one of the greatest regrets of my life.”
He softly kisses the back of it, and Toya looks horrified and seems to be ready to pull his hand away, but Akito flashes a glance up at him.
There’s a completely stunned and incredibly cute expression on his face.
“Well, I see you’re getting along well. Toya, this is Akiyoshi Sato, one of my students. Akiyoshi, this is my youngest child, Toya.”
Toya seems like he wants to say something, but then he gets a little lightheaded and almost falls over, and Akito instinctively shoots a hand around his waist to steady him.
“Are you alright?!” He says, biting back the ‘partner.’ “You should get back to bed, I’ll get NyQuil.”
“‘S fine…” Toya says, and Akito internally rolls his eyes before scooping Toya into a princess carry.
“No, it’s not. You’re going back to bed.”
Toya doesn’t voice any more protests. Akito might have thought he had fallen asleep if he wasn’t so used to Toya’s little quirks.
Toya is incredibly easy to get upstairs and into bed, but then a familiar hand reaches out and grabs his sleeve.
“…Akito…?” He groans.
“Yeah. Yeah, it’s me. It’s a long story. I was going to tell you when you got better.”
“‘S fine. Can you just… stay here for a little bit?”
Akito reaches out to Toya’s forehead, and it’s burning hot.
“What the hell did you do to get yourself like this?”
“…Think I caught something when I went to the hospital to go visit Souma-san. He was coughing.”
“And that’s why Tono was so down to cancel practice.” Akito mutters, and Toya laughs.
“Was he? I haven’t been checking my phone. The light is making my headache worse.”
“Don’t worry about it. Lemme get you some NyQuil.”
Toya’s hand reaches out again, and Akito takes it and kisses the back of it.
“I’ll be back in a second.”
“Promise?”
“Yeah. I promise.”
Akito walks downstairs to grab the NyQuil, but he forgets that he wasn’t just here to treat Toya.
“Akiyoshi? What was that?”
…Oh. Oh, he can make this so funny.
Akito laughs gently as he takes the NyQuil out of the cabinet.
“I don’t know. He just reminds me of someone I love. I recently got broken up with. He was… kind of like your son. I wrote a song for him. I’ll show it to you later, I should get back to Toya-san right now. He looked like he was in pain.”
He slips past Harumichi and the moment he’s out of sight he rushes back to Toya.
“Told ya I’d be back.” Akito laughs, and Toya puts on the most beautiful smile on that clearly feverish face, and his entire life has meaning again.
He sits until Toya falls asleep, and then goes back to Harumichi.
“Sorry about that,” Akito says. “I-I don’t want you thinking I have any ill intentions towards your son, I’m very focused on learning piano but he really wanted me to—“
Harumichi Aoyagi actually smiles at him. “Of course, it’s fine, I appreciate you staying with him. He can be very emotional sometimes.”
“Thank you sir, I’ll stay longer to make up for the lost time.”
Akiyoshi-kun’s a little rough around the edges, but clearly he’s a good boy and very focused on learning the piano.
And he and Toya seemed to get along very well.
Toya comes down later to get something to eat and gives Harumichi a weird look when he notices him.
“Why are you so happy?” Toya asks.
“I’m just very pleased with my new student.”
“Oh? Is he good.”
“He’s got potential. It’s been so long since I tutored someone privately.”
“Better than me?”
“Oh of course not, but if you felt like showing him a few things…”
Harumichi expects Toya to deny flatly, but instead he shrugs. “Maybe. He comes on Wednesdays?”
“Yes.”
Ah his suspicions were correct, Toya likes Akiyoshi-kun as well. And the feeling seems to be mutual. This might be his chance to get Toya back on track, and away from that Shinonome boy.
Yes, Akiyoshi-kun was a fortunate find indeed.
“Ok so what’s up?” Toya asks when he gets to school, sees his friends, and dumps himself into Akito’s lap.
“You remember that composing seminar last week?” Akito says, ruffling his hair. “So Ena decided to pick that day to pull a prank on me by dyeing my hair and stealing my contacts-“
“You wear contacts?” Toya pouts. “I didn’t know that.”
“It’s not something I advertise,” Akito says. “I’ve been wearing them since middle school so I could play soccer and then just kept at it.”
“But still…”
“It’s fine, Ena’s literally the only one who knows.”
Toya’s still upset but lets Akito continue.
“So I had to wear my glasses and go to the seminar with pink hair, and your dad didn’t recognize me at all but liked my composition, so he offered me lessons.”
“We really did mean to tell you,” Akiyama says, “but you were sick and we were busy getting the perfect outfit for ‘Akiyoshi Sato’”
“Who goes to Shujin,” Akito says. “So you don’t know him.”
“We’ve come up with a whole backstory,” Kamishiro-Senpai says.
“I gave him some composers to listen to impress Uncle,” Tsukasa-Senpai adds.
Akito smirks. “I also told your dad I recently broke up with my boyfriend.”
“Ooh that’s why he wanted me to teach you some things,” Toya says.
“Oh don’t force yourself to do that,” Akito says quickly.
“We’ll see, this is so funny I might be up for it. Is there a plan?”
“Not really,” An says. “Basically the goal is ‘go until he figures it out or it stops being funny.’”
Toya claps his hands. “Amazing.”
Narin brings Akiyoshi-kun a drink while he and Harumichi are taking a break from practice. He’s improved a lot, it’s clear he has a good foundation, just hasn’t been introduced to the proper theory before.
“Thank you, Mrs. Aoyagi,” Akiyoshi says.
“Oh, don’t worry, dear! Narin’s fine.”
“I really don’t want to overstep, I’m the guest here.”
Narin smiles, he’s such a polite young man!
Something shifts, and she sees Toya standing in the stairway.
“Toya, would you like to join us?” Narin says.
Toya comes down and sheepishly gets himself a drink.
“Hello, Sato-san,” he says, looking away bashfully.
“Hello Toya-san,” Akiyoshi-kun says, giving a light wave.
Oh, Harumichi was right, there’s certainly something going on here.
“Toya, have you considered trying a little duet with Akiyoshi-kun?” Narin suggests. “Surely you can handle ‘Heart and Soul?’”
“No! I don’t want to bother Toya-san.”
“… I can try,” Toya says. He sits down next to Akiyoshi-kun.
“Ok so you play this,” Toya explains.
Akiyoshi-kun follows suit.
“And then I play this at the same time.”
Together, they start playing ‘Heart And Soul’ and there’s a brief moment where their hands touch and Narin can see a flash of red on both their faces.
Later, when Akiyoshi-kun leaves, Narin brings Toya a glass of lemonade.
“So, Toya…”
“Yes mother?” Toya asks.
“You seem to like Akiyoshi-kun.”
“Mother!” Toya buries his face in the pillow.
“I just wanted you to know I think he’s very nice!”
“I have a boyfriend!”
“Oh sure, but you’re young! Your first love doesn’t last forever.”
Toya frowns. “Get out.”
“Ok, ok! Just something to keep in mind!”
Once his mother leaves, Toya opens the window for Akito to come in.
“You should not be here,” Toya whispers, burying his face in Akito’s hoodie.
“I wanted to make sure you were ok. You didn’t have to force yourself to play piano for me.”
“I’m fine, I’ll just hate everything for a while,” Toya says.
“We’re pranking your parents, this isn’t life or death.”
Toya pouts and Akito sighs. “You really are a Tenma, you know? You gotta commit to the bit. C’mere.” Akito picks Toya up and carries him back to the bed.
“How long will you stay?” Toya asks.
“However long you need.”
Kamui is livid! Mother’s been saying how much his Little Maestro likes Father’s new student, and he can’t have that!
He’s supposed to be the coolest in Little Maestro’s eyes! Not some random college guy their father found!
So naturally he packs a bag and hops on the first flight back home, and Hatsuaki-oniichan comes too because he doesn’t trust Kamui to not do anything stupid.
Which is ridiculous (in this case) because Kamui’s not coming home to party, he’s coming home to assert his dominance. He’s not messing that up by getting drunk or running into Shosuke Otori.
They get in late Tuesday night and then Kamui spends Wednesday morning practicing and showing off until there’s a knock at the door.
Kamui opens the door, but is surprised to see Toya’s boyfriend.
“Wait what are you doing here Shin—“
Suddenly Toya tackles him to the side.
“Sorry, Sato-san, please ignore Kamui-oniichan. In fact do not speak to him ever,” Toya says.
Shinonome nods and heads to the piano room, and then Toya turns angrily to Kamui.
“Do not say anything.”
“I’m not even following what’s going on?” Kamui says.
Hatsuaki-oniichan comes down. “What did Kamui do?”
“Ok I need you guys to keep this a secret,” Toya says. “You both owe me.”
“Alright, now what’s up with Shinonome?” Kamui asks.
“Long story short, father thinks he’s Akiyoshi Sato and is giving him piano lessons,” Toya explains. “Mother thinks so too, and neither of you are going to explain it to them.”
Kamui breaks into a smile. “Oh that is hilarious. I didn’t know you had it in you,” he says, ruffling Toya’s hair. “Of course I’ll keep your secret.”
“Wait… mother has been talking about how well you and father’s new student get along,” Hatsuaki-oniichan says. “Are they trying to get you to break up with your boyfriend and date… your boyfriend?”
Toya nods. “We’re trying to see how long this lasts.”
Kamui starts laughing harder. “Ok we’re not going home until he’s found out I need to see what happens.”
“You’ve grown quite a bit, Akiyoshi-kun,” Harumichi says.
“Really? Thank you, that means so much to me,” Akito says. “You’ve been a lot of help, I’ve had so many new ideas for compositions.”
“I’m always glad to facilitate musical talent in young people,” Harumichi says, “and in fact I was wondering how you would feel about performing in a recital.”
“Really? You think I’m good enough for that?”
“Yes, the Tokyo College of Music High School is having a recital for students throughout the city and the director asked if I knew of any who would be interested.”
“Wow, thank you sir,” Akito says. “I’m so honored.”
“I wouldn’t recommend it if I didn’t think you could do it.”
“Well then, sir, is it alright if I perform an original composition?”
“That would be perfect.”
“Are you going to be ok, Toya?” Tsukasa-senpai asks.
“It’s my partner’s first piano recital, I’m not missing it,” Toya says. He doesn’t care what he has to sit through to get to see Akito on stage.
He wishes he could give Akito a kiss for good luck beforehand, but there’s no way to get backstage for someone in the audience.
Eventually he can spot Akito walking to his seat and waves to him. Akito blows him a kiss that he catches and holds close to his heart.
The first group gets up, a string quartet, and Toya slips in his earbuds. He’s sitting in between Tsukasa-senpai and Saki so his family doesn’t notice he’s listening to something else.
Soon “Doctor=Funk Beat” is drowning out the classical music, and Toya’s able to keep calm all the way up until he sees Akito come on stage.
Akito looks directly at him and gives Toya a smile, and then begins.
For a split-second, Toya worries he’s left his earbuds in, but quickly realizes that, no, Akito is up there playing “Mirai.”
It’s absolutely passionate and Toya feels like he’s going cry at how beautiful it is. The audience and concert hall seem to fall away and it’s like Akito is playing just for him.
No, he knows Akito is playing just for him.
The song finishes and the audience is left in breathless silence before standing up and giving him a roaring applause.
Akito leaves the stage and Toya slips out to meet him in the hallway, rushing forward and getting swept off his feet in a hug.
“That was amazing” Toya says breathlessly.
“You liked it? I really wanted it to be something you’d be able to listen to.”
“It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard” Toya says.
Akito smiles. “That’s the best part of all of this, then.”
Toya leans in to kiss him when someone coughs.
Toya turns around to see his father.
“I’m really sorry to interrupt,” he says, “but they’re about to announce the awards.”
Toya pouts and Akito laughs. “C’mon, it won’t be long. We’ll talk later, ok?”
Toya heads back to his seat, and the director of the school comes up to announce a bunch of awards.
There are some that make Hatsuaki and Kamui groan about someone else being more deserving, but Toya didn’t listen to anyone except Akito so he can’t say anything.
“-and for our final award,” the director says, “Best Original Composition goes to… Akiyoshi Sato!”
Toya perks up. Akito actually won something?!
Akito seems just as shocked because he gingerly heads up to the stage and accept the trophy.
“T-thank you!” Akito says. “I’m honored, I honestly don’t know what to say. I guess I’d like to thank my teacher, Harumichi Aoyagi, without whom I wouldn’t be here, all my friends who supported me in pursuing piano, and of course—,” Akito locks eyes with Toya and gives the softest, most gorgeous smile ever, “—the very special person who inspired that song. I’m so grateful to have him in my life. He makes me want to go above and beyond and do everything I can to be as great a musician as possible.”
Then Akito bows, and his wig falls off.
“Whoops, sorry!” Akito says, scooping up the wig and hurrying off stage. Most of the audience doesn’t care beyond mild confusion as the director thanks them all for coming, but Toya can see his father stalking backstage after Akito, absolutely livid.
He runs after them and finds his father yelling at Akito outside.
“I can’t believe you would go through all this for some childish prank!” Toya’s father yells. He grabs the trophy out of Akito’s hands.
“Give that back!” Toya says.
His father turns to him. “Toya?! Did you know about this?”
“Yes,” Toya says, “because I am actually capable of recognizing my boyfriend with a wig and glasses on.”
“Is this some childish prank? Did you want to humiliate me?”
“No one was humiliated! As far as anyone in there is concerned, your student performed an amazing original song and rightfully won an award for it, because he’s been taking your lessons seriously and practicing his butt off!” Toya walks over and grabs the trophy out of his father’s hands and gives it back to Akito.
“He doesn’t respect classical music!” His father sputters.
“Do you seriously think anyone would put up with weeks of practice with you just for shits and giggles? No! Like Akito said up there, he’s dedicated to becoming a great musician, and that means learning to appreciate all kinds of music. You’re angry right now because you can’t accept that you like Akito and Akito likes street music, when you should be thankful that he did more to make me appreciate piano than you ever did!”
His father stands there, staring between the two of them.
“Nothing to say? Fine.” Toya turns back to Akito. “Let’s go, you deserve a proper victory party.”
Akito smirks and scoops Toya into his arms. “My hero, rushing to my defense like that.”
“My pleasure, you’re amazing.” Akito winks back at Toya’s father. “I really am sorry we couldn’t get to violin lessons, sir!”
And then the two of them run off before his father can stop them.
At the WEEKEND GARAGE they recap everything for Ken, An, and Kohane.
“I can’t believe you actually won,” Kohane says.
“I always said Mirai was my masterpiece,” Akito says, looking at his trophy. “This is going right in my desk. Toya, you going home tonight?”
“Hold on,” Toya says, pulling out his phone.
Toya: Hey, are mother and father still mad
Kamui: Oh they are livid.
Toya: Ok then I’m staying at Akito’s.
Hatsuaki: Are you alright?
Toya: oh sure, I’ve stopped expecting things from mother and father at this point.
Hatsuaki: They’ll come around on him, you know.
Toya: Yeah right
Kamui: Sure! It’ll take a while, but they love you more than they hate him.
Toya: You think so?
Kamui: of course, I mean look at me.
Toya smiles. Then he collapses onto Akito.
“Let’s head to your place, I’m tired.”
“Sounds like a plan, partner.”
Toya buries his face in his partner’s chest. At least if his parents are going to be stubborn, stupid, jerks, he’ll still have the best partner in the world.